Mung Bean and Tamarind Dal

Yet another recipe adapted from Dakshin, a treasured cookbook focusing on traditional South Indian culinary delights. Easy to prepare, this colorful mung bean curry is sure to please those who crave spicy dals, although you can reduce the number of chilies used if you want a milder version. Tempered with tangy tamarind, I served this fiery dish alongside a mild and tasty tamarind rice.

Mung Bean and Tamarind Dal

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South India Cuisine: South Indian Published on March 16, 2009 Simple, colorful and spicy mung bean and green chili curry seasoned with tangy tamarind Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking time: 55 to 60 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup dried whole mung beans (3 cups cooked) 3 cups water lemon-size piece of tamarind pulp 1 cup hot water Tempering: 2 teaspoons ghee, butter or oil 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1 dried whole red chili, broken into bits 1/2 teaspoon asafetida handful of dried curry leaves 6 fresh green chilies, seeded and cut into thin strips 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste Instructions: Rinse the mung beans and soak in several inches of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain, transfer to a large saucepan, and cover with 3 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and partially cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are buttery soft — about 40 minutes. Set aside without draining. Meanwhile, soak the tamarind in 1 cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Strain the tamarind water into another bowl, and squeeze as much liquid out of the tamarind pulp as you can. Discard the tamarind pulp and set the tamarind liquid aside. For tempering, heat the ghee, butter or oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the mustard seeds, red chili, asafetida and curry leaves. Stir until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to pop, then add the green chilies, tamarind juice, turmeric and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes or so. Add this mixture to the cooked mung beans, return the pan to the stove over medium-low heat, and simmer for another 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve hot, garnished with curry leaves or fresh chopped parsley or cilantro if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Other mung bean dishes you will want to try:
Spicy Mung Bean Soup with Coconut Milk
Indian Sour Mung Bean Soup
Indian-style Spicy Mung Beans